The latest attempt to plug an oil well that has been leaking for more than two months in the Timor Sea has been delayed.
Oil began flowing from a well at the Montara oilfield, more than 200km off Western Australia's northwest coast, on August 21.
Three attempts by the company which operates the oilfield, Thai-based PTTEP Australasia, to plug the leaking well with mud have failed.
A fourth attempt was to be made on Friday, but PTTEP Australasia said that would now take place over the weekend.
A spokesman for the company said an overnight analysis of electro magnetic surveys after drilling activities on Thursday meant a specialised guidance tool would have to be used to align the drilling assembly in the well bore to intercept the leaking well.
"The drilling team on board the West Triton rig will deploy the alignment tool down the intercept well to accurately guide the drilling assembly towards the target," the spokesman said.
"Following a successful intercept, heavy mud will be pumped from the West Triton down into the relief well, displacing the oil, gas and water and stopping the flow."
The well casing being targeted is 25 centimetres in diameter.
Late on Thursday, PTTEP said a small piece of cement recovered near the site of the leaking well showed repair crews could be close to finally stemming the spill.
PTTEP said the well was initially leaking at a flow rate of 400 barrels of oil a day.
But the Greens said data from Geoscience Australia, revealed in Senate estimates hearings on Wednesday, revealed the flow could be about 2,000 barrels a day, plus condensate.
Conservationists have been critical of the response to the spill.
On Friday, WWF said PTTEP had confirmed the deaths of 16 seabirds out of 25 affected by the oil spill.
WWF conservation director Dr Gilly Llewellyn said dolphins, migratory seabirds, sea snakes and marine turtles have been found in the slick-affected area during a recent expedition by the group.
A survey report, released on Friday, painted a picture of a rich marine environment under toxic threat from the Montara leak.
"We recorded hundreds of dolphins and sea birds in the oil slick area, as well as sea snakes and threatened hawksbill and flatback turtles," Dr Llewellyn said.
PTTEP said there were no reports of any whales or dolphins in trouble and tests undertaken on fish specimens to date showed no contamination by oil.
"Clearly, wildlife is dying and hundreds if not thousands of dolphins, seabirds and sea snakes are being exposed to toxic oil," Dr Llewellyn said.
"The critical issue is the long-term impact of this slick on a rich marine ecosystem, taking into consideration the magnitude, extent and duration of the event."
Oil could be a slow and silent killer, Dr Llewellyn said.
"Impacts from the Exxon Valdez disaster are still being seen 20 years later, so we can expect this environmental disaster will continue to unfold for years to come," she said.
Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said the attempts to plug the leak were farcical.
"This feels like Groundhog Day. It's turning into a farce and the big players need to step in because this is an environmental disaster for marine life off the Kimberley Coast," Mr Pritchard said.
The oil leak had tainted the whole oil and gas industry's reputation and had occurred in an area teeming with marine life, Mr Pritchard said.
"It's not a good look for an industry that wants to continue drilling in this environmentally sensitive area and we know ... that Australians are really concerned about this oil leak and want places like the Kimberley coast protected from the risks of the oil and gas sector," he said.
Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/fourth-attempt-to-plug-oil-spill-leak-delayed-20091023-hdak.html
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